The latest on California politics and government

June 2, 2011

A former aide to Gov. Gray Davis who joined the United States Army Special Forces was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend.

Army Capt. Joseph William Schultz, 36, died on Sunday after his Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device, according to news reports and an email Davis sent to former colleagues.

Davis remembered Schultz, who worked in his Washington, D.C. office and as a press aide in Sacramento, for his "bright spirit and enduring commitment to integrity and public service."

"As a soldier, Joseph paid the ultimate price for our freedom, he gave his life. While Joseph's sacrifice has already been made, let us not forget the sacrifice that his family will be making for the rest of their lives - having lost one of their own. While we can never repay them for their sacrifice, we can honor Joseph and his family by committing to be of service in his memory," the former Democratic governor wrote.

Schultz was raised in part in Sacramento and graduated from El Camino High School in 1993. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His mother, Betsy Reed Schultz, lives in Port Angeles, Wash.